Public Health Scotland – Page 3 – The NEN

Together We Can: Public Health Scotland’s new 10-year strategy

Public Health Scotland (PHS) has published its new 10-year strategy, Together We Can, setting out a clear and ambitious direction for improving and protecting the health and wellbeing of people across Scotland.

Scotland continues to face significant and urgent public health challenges. Too many people experience preventable ill health, and the gap in life expectancy between the most and least deprived communities remains far too wide. These pressures not only affect individuals and communities but also place increasing strain on health and public services across the country.

Together We Can responds directly to these challenges. Our strategy provides a focused, evidence-based framework to bring national and local partners together around a shared purpose: improving life expectancy and narrowing health inequalities across the next decade.

It sets out the practical steps PHS will take, and describes how collective action across Scotland’s public, third, and private sectors will be essential to achieving the scale of change required.

Developed with extensive input from PHS staff, Board members, partners and stakeholders, the strategy reflects the insight, ambition and experience of people working across Scotland’s health and care system and beyond. Their contributions have shaped a direction that is both bold and deliverable.

At the heart of the strategy are five drivers for change that will guide Scotland’s approach to improving public health over the coming decade:

Building a prevention-focused system
Improving social and economic conditions
Strengthening places and communities
Enabling healthy living
Providing equitable access to health and care

These drivers structure the actions PHS will take and set a clear foundation for how the organisation will work with partners to improve outcomes for people and communities.

Ally Boyle, Chair of Public Health Scotland, said: “Scotland faces urgent public health challenges, from preventable ill health to deep rooted inequalities. Our strategy, Together We Can, sets out a clear ambition to tackle these challenges and improve health for everyone over the next decade.

“Across every pillar of public health, we’ve been challenged to deliver real, measurable improvement over the next decade – and that is exactly what we intend to do.

“We’ll achieve this by connecting people, ideas and experience, and by shaping a culture that values collaboration, creating the conditions where our shared ambition becomes real and lasting, and positive change is delivered for the people of Scotland.”

Paul Johnston, Chief Executive of Public Health Scotland, said: “Together We Can sets out a bold and hopeful vision for the next decade, which shows how we will work to improve and protect the health of people in Scotland. It provides a focused, evidence-driven direction not just for Public Health Scotland, but for the nationwide effort needed to create meaningful, lasting change.

“We know that no single organisation can shift Scotland’s health outcomes on its own. Real progress depends on working side by side with our partners across national and local government, the NHS, the third sector and communities everywhere. Therefore, this strategy is a shared commitment – one we will deliver collaboratively, drawing on the strengths and experiences of people and organisations across the country.

“Together, we can improve life expectancy, narrow inequalities and create a fairer, healthier Scotland for everyone.”

Public Health Scotland will continue to engage with partners, communities and staff to ensure the strategy leads to real improvements across Scotland.

Local government umbrella body Cosla commented:

Find out more and view our new 10-year strategy Together We Can on the PHS website.

together-we-can_our-10-year-strategy-to-2035_Download

Risk of death from cancer falls by 12%

People in Scotland are less likely to die from cancer, with the risk falling by 12% over the past decade, according to new figures published today by Public Health Scotland (PHS).

The new report, which provides the latest insights in cancer mortality in Scotland, highlights that there was a small increase in the number of deaths due to cancer, from 16,011 in 2015 to 16,352 in 2024. This is caused by Scotland’s by Scotland’s ageing population, and older people are at higher risk of cancer.

It also shows that those who die from cancer are now older than in the past. In 2024, 70% of all cancer deaths occurred in people aged 70 and over, up from 66% in 2015. The average age at death also increased between 2000 and 2024, rising from 71 to 74 years for males, and from 72 to 74 years for females.

Lung, colorectal (bowel), prostate, and breast cancers together accounted for 46% of all cancer deaths. Lung cancer remained the leading cause, with 3,651 deaths in 2024, making up 22% of all cancer deaths. Most lung cancer deaths could be avoided by eliminating smoking.

Professor David Morrison, Consultant in Public Health, Public Health Scotland, Scotland, said: “Cancer remains the most common cause of death in Scotland, but the risk has been falling over time.

“Deaths from lung cancer have fallen by a quarter over the past 10 years, and oesophageal and bladder cancer deaths have also gone down. We can see the huge benefits of fewer people smoking and more successful treatment of cancer in these latest figures.

“Among women, the chances of dying from breast cancer have fallen by 11% over the last decade. Breast screening picks up cancers at an earlier, more treatable stage and new treatment options have become available.

“I would encourage anyone invited for cancer screening or offered HPV vaccination to take up the offers.”

Reducing harm from tobacco by creating a smoke-free generation remains a priority for PHS, particularly given lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death in Scotland. This, together with reducing harm from alcohol, drugs and unhealthy foods, is one of the key actions outlined in our ten-year strategy, also published today, which sets out how we will work to improve Scotland’s health outcomes.

A second cancer-focussed report published by PHS today, the Place of Death from Cancer in Scotland report, examines the place of death for people who died from cancer between 2015 and 2024.

Of the 49,474 cancer deaths in Scotland during 2015–2024, 39% occurred in NHS hospitals, 37% occurred at home or a private address and 15% occurred in hospices.

The Cancer Mortality in Scotland Annual Update 2024 report can be read here:

Cancer mortality in Scotland – Annual update to 2024 – Cancer mortality – Publications – Public Health Scotland

The Place of Death From Cancer in Scotland 2015 – 2024 report can be read here:

Place of Death from Cancer in Scotland – 2015-2024 – Place of death from cancer in Scotland – Publications – Public Health Scotland

Information on cancer screening available for free through the NHS in Scotland can be found at: Introduction to screening in Scotland | NHS inform

More information on identifying, treating and managing cancers can be found on NHS Inform: Cancer | NHS inform

Last year, we published a joint blog by Consultants in Public Health Medicine, Professor David Morrison, Director of the Scottish Cancer Registry and Dr Fatim Lakha, exploring the seemingly paradoxical good news within Scotland’s rising cancer statistics – and what it means for our future health and care system.

Find out more about PHS’s ten-year strategy: Strategic vision – Together we can: our 10-year strategy to 2035 – What we do and how we work – About us – Public Health Scotland

Public Health Scotland: Transport Poverty Policy Review

Transport poverty is ‘a lack of transport of options that are: Available, Reliable, Affordable, Accessible and Safe that allow people to meet their daily needs and achieve a reasonable quality of life’.

This is a report of a review that aimed to assess whether selected national transport policies were likely to achieve a population level impact on dimensions of transport poverty in Scotland:

transport-poverty-policy-review Download

transport-poverty-policy-review-summary-briefing Download

Childhood vaccines

It’s important your child gets all the vaccines they are offered at the right time to make sure they’ve got longer-term protection as they grow up.

When it’s time, you’ll receive a letter from the NHS with details of the appointment and what vaccines they’re being offered.

Keep warm in the cold weather

ADVICE from PUBLIC HEALTH SCOTLAND

Public Health Scotland

@P_H_S_Official

Keep warm in the cold weather   

Heat rooms you regularly use to a comfortable temperature (at least 18°C if you can) 

Wear several layers of clothing 

Try move around every hour 

Find more advice on NHS inform:

http://nhsinform.scot/cold-weather

Delayed Discharge: ‘The current approach has failed’

Significant Change Needed, says new report

NHS Scotland spent £440m last year on beds for patients who were unable to get out of hospital despite being ready to be discharged, according to a new report by Scotland’s public spending watchdogs.

The report from the Audit Scotland and the Accounts Commission said one in nine hospital beds were occupied because of delayed discharges in the 12 months to April 2025.

It said the Scottish government must set out a plan to tackle the problem.

Delays in discharging patients from hospital affect people’s physical and mental health, and make it harder to admit others to hospital. Delayed discharges are a symptom of wider pressures across health and social care in Scotland.

The joint report by the Auditor General for Scotland and the Accounts Commission warns this has a significant effect, despite impacting only around three per cent of hospital patients. People medically ready to leave spent 720,000 unnecessary days in hospital in 2024/25. Whilst the full financial impact is unknown, the cost to the NHS in hospital days alone is an estimated £440 million a year.

The causes are complex, including rising demand for health and social care services, financial pressures, long-standing recruitment and retention problems across Scotland and for some, not having a Power of Attorney in place.

Reducing delayed discharges is a priority for the Scottish Government and their partners in health and social care, with significant activity underway to tackle this. But a lack of evaluation of initiatives across the country means it is difficult to measure what is having the greatest impact and whether these initiatives represent value for the money and time spent.

Stephen Boyle, Auditor General for Scotland, said: “Delayed discharges from hospital have far-reaching impacts on people’s health and well-being. The Scottish Government, health bodies, councils and other partner organisations agree on the need for major changes and are actively trying to reduce delayed discharges.

“Now they must improve how they collect, analyse and use data to evaluate the initiatives underway to tackle the problem. Without this, it’s impossible to understand the impacts and costs of delayed discharges and whether the initiatives across Scotland are improving lives, services and delivering value for money.”

Malcolm Bell, Member of the Accounts Commission said: “Significant change is critical across our health and social care services, shifting towards preventative care, greater use of technology and ongoing investment in the workforce. Without this, the care and support individuals need to leave hospital won’t always be available.

“The Scottish Government and COSLA’s joint health and social care service renewal framework is an opportunity for progress to be made with health and social care reform. But IJBs and social care need to be at the centre of planning and decision-making on service renewal, and it’s not clear how the framework will address the challenges faced by social care.”

‘The current approach has failed’

In response to the joint report into delayed discharges by the Auditor General for Scotland and Accounts Commission, Dr Fiona Hunter, RCEM Vice President for Scotland, said: “This report lays bare the scale of delayed discharge, and the impact it has on our health and social care system and the people it serves.

“720,000 days’ worth of unnecessary hospital stays in the 2024/25 financial year. That’s almost 2,000 years – an almost inconceivable amount of wasted resources which, if exit block had been addressed, could be used to help the patients lining the corridors of Emergency Departments day in, day out.

“The knock-on effect delayed discharge has on EDs cannot be overstated.

“Every hospital bed occupied by someone who does not need it, but cannot leave through no fault of their own, adds pressure to EDs which are receiving more patients than they can move on.

“And these unnecessary stays in a hospital bed puts patients at greater risk of hospital-born infection, and can lead to deconditioning, stripping them of their independence.

“This is something RCEM has been raising the alarm about for years now, and while the government has acknowledged the issue and taken some steps to address it – the total breakdown in hospital flow outlined in this report shows that the current approach has failed.

“Things cannot go on like this and I hope the government, health service and local authorities heed the recommendations set out by the Auditor General for Scotland.

“Improvements to data gathering and discharge planning, among the other recommendations, would be a step towards the system-wide approach we have long said is needed to fix Emergency Care.”

RCEM said earlier this week that The Scottish government must prioritise tackling delayed discharges and overcrowding in Emergency Departments (EDs) or risk the entire system collapsing under the strain of an incredibly difficult winter.

Th message from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM), followed the release of ED performance figures on Tuesday (6 January) by Public Health Scotland (PHS) for November 2025.

One in 15 patients (8,065) waited 12 or more hours in a type-1 ED before being admitted, transferred or discharged in that month alone, the worst figures for a November since records began in 2007.

Further, the new data found that:

It was the worst November on record for eight-hour waits, which stood at 17,259, or 14.5% of patients attending a major ED
Only 63% of patients seen within four hours at type-1 EDs, a far cry from the government target of 95%
Compared to November 2018, waits of four or more hours were four times higher, eight-hour waits were 14 times higher, and 12-hour waits were 39 times higher
Meanwhile, the number of people attending ED was only 5.5% higher in November 2025 compared to November 2018

Dr Fiona Hunter, RCEM Vice President for Scotland, said: “This is yet another month of predictable broken records for Emergency Medicine performance in Scotland.

“The Scottish government continues to shout about improvements to NHS waiting lists. We, of course, welcome these but a lack of political will to put the same emphasis on addressing delayed discharges means our departments are at risk of total derailment.

“We are now in the depths of winter. Patients are arriving into EDs only to find that there isn’t the space to treat them safely, let alone quickly.

“Very sick and injured people are lining corridors, crammed into whatever space we can find, because of exit block and a complete breakdown in flow out of hospitals.

“With warnings of storms, snow and freezing temperatures, the situation is likely to get a lot worse before it gets better.

“It’s unacceptable that this has been allowed to happen, but it’s not too late to act. We call on the government to support health boards so they can make the improvements needed to tackle delayed discharges and improve patient flow.”

nr_260108_delayed_discharges_er Download

Concern over cancer waiting times

PUBLIC Health Scotland has released a new CancerWaiting Times report.

These latest figures show that, during the last quarter for which results are available, from July-September 2025, around 1,400 (29.3 per cent) patients waited longer than 62 days to start treatment following an urgent suspected cancer referral.    

The report shows that only 70.7 per cent of patients on an urgent referral for a suspicion of cancer started treatment within 62 days during this quarter.

This is well below the 95 per cent target and is the fifth worst performance on record (since 2012).   

2025-12-23_cwt_summary_final Download

The full Public Health Scotland report can be found here:  

https://publichealthscotland.scot/media/36574/2025-12-23_cwt-report.pdf

Dr Sorcha Hume, Cancer Research UK’s public affairs manager in Scotland, said: “Waiting to find out if you have cancer is a hugely distressing time for people.

“NHS staff are also stretched to the limit and, without action, delays will persist.

“As we approach the new year, the Scottish Government must make a firm resolution to invest in the NHS workforce and equipment, as well as innovative ways of working.

“There’s no time to lose. The cancer crisis is urgent. Without immediate action, countless lives will be lost.”

More information on how Cancer Research UK believes waiting times can be tackled can be found in Longer better lives: a manifesto for cancer research and care in Scotland  

Devolved_Nations_Manifestos_-_Scotland_-_acc Download

Public Health Scotland: Changes to childhood vaccination programme

CHILDREN TO BE OFFERED CHICKENPOX VACCINE

Following a detailed review by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), the UK’s independent expert group on vaccines, Public Health Scotland (PHS) has been working with the Scottish Government and colleagues across NHS Boards to make some changes to Scotland’s childhood vaccination programme.

The changes, which began in July 2025, are based on the latest scientific evidence and are designed to ensure that children continue to have the best possible protection from vaccine-preventable diseases.

From January 2026, children will be offered a varicella (chickenpox) vaccine as part of the routine childhood schedule for the first time in Scotland.

JCVI’s recommendation is to offer a two-dose programme offering vaccination at 12 and 18 months of age, using the combined MMRV (measles, mumps, rubella and varicella) vaccine.

Varicella vaccines have been seen to dramatically decrease the number of cases of chickenpox seen in childhood when used in other countries.

Dr Daniel Chandler, Consultant in Public Health Medicine at PHS said: “Chickenpox is a highly contagious infectious disease. While most cases of chickenpox in children are relatively mild, many children are unwell for several days and have to miss school or nursery as a result. In some cases, chickenpox can be more severe and can lead to hospitalisations from serious secondary infections or other complications.

“The offer of the varicella vaccine is a welcome new addition to the routine childhood schedule and, as well as reducing the number of cases, will prevent more severe cases of chickenpox.”

Vaccination programmes are regularly reviewed to make sure that all children are offered the best protection against preventable diseases. As new vaccines become available, or research shows that giving existing vaccines at different times improves protection, the programme will be changed.

Parents and carers will receive appointment invitations from local NHS immunisation teams and are encouraged to look out for them and bring their children for vaccination as scheduled.

Where to find more information:

Parents and carers who want to know more about the vaccinations offered to their children should visit nhsinform.scot/vaccinesforchildren

Information about the new MMRV programme is available at MMRV vaccine | NHS inform

Scotland’s Resilience committee meets to discuss winter flu

Hospital admissions rise as cases continue to increase

Justice Secretary Angela Constance chaired a resilience meeting yesterday to discuss the rising number of flu cases and the subsequent pressure on health services.

She was joined by the Health Secretary, the Chief Medical Officer Professor Sir Gregor Smith and Public Health Scotland Head of Health Protection (infection Services) Jim McMenamin.

Flu cases have risen 24% in the past week, with hospital admissions up 15%. Ministers heard of measures being taken to alleviate the pressures on health and social care services and ensure they have enough resources.

This includes additional support to NHS24 and the Scottish Ambulance Service, as well as a £20 million investment to support social care and front door pressures to improve flow.

Yesterday, the Health Secretary Neil Gray convened a meeting of the Winter Pressures Oversight Group to ensure health and care services have the resources needed during peak demand. He said: “We are seeing an increase in flu cases earlier this year and we know flu hits harder for some people, especially the most vulnerable members of our communities.

“Vaccination remains the best protection against the virus and I encourage everyone who is eligible to come forward for theirs if they have not yet done so.

“New evidence from Public Health Scotland and early evidence from UKHSA shows that this year’s vaccine does a good job of preventing hospital admissions for the strains currently circulating.

“As of 7 December, over 1.2 million adult flu vaccines have been delivered – over 97,000 more than this point last winter. In addition, more than 470,000 children have had their vaccine, bringing the total number of flu vaccinations delivered this season to over 1.7 million.

“But as flu typically peaks in late December or January, driven by the socialising we do over Christmas and New Year, we are urging those eligible to get vaccinated before the holidays and help protect each other and our NHS this winter.

“We are taking a range of measures to ensure our health service is as resilient as possible over the next few months £20 million has been allocated for health board initiatives to increase social care capacity and relieve pressure on acute services.”

New evidence from Public Health Scotland published yesterday (Dec 11) shows that the flu vaccine provides important protection against severe illness.

PHS found so far this winter, children in Scotland are 78% less likely to be admitted to hospital with flu if vaccinated; with vaccinated adults in Scotland aged 65 and over 37% less likely to be hospitalised.

As of 7 December, over 1.2 million adult flu vaccines have been delivered – over 97,000 more than this point last winter. In addition, more than 470,000 children have had their vaccine, bringing the total number of flu vaccinations delivered this season to over 1.7 million.